Stripper for flatwork ironers



Aug. 25, 1942. M, J. BUC'KLEY 2,294,158

STRIPPER FOR FLATwoRK IRONERS l Filed March 24, 1941 INVENTOF(A M .J.BUCVKLEY *BY L? .ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 25, 1942 STRIPPER FOR FLATVORK IRONERS 2 Claims.

This invention appertains to flatwork ironers, and more particularly to a novel means for stripping the fabrics being ironed from the rolls.

It has heretofore been proposed to utilize endless tapes which go over and under the ironing rolls for guiding the work through the ironer and to prevent the work from winding around the rolls. These tapes left undesirable marks in the linens. In lieu of the endless tapes, I propose to utilize a series of relatively thin, narrow, flat steel springs for each roll, as I have found that these springs serve their purpose admirably and do not mar the fabrics being ironed. However, much diiculty is experienced in properly Securing the springs in place, in that the springs are subjected to a constant bending action and strain at their points of connection with the machine. This constant bending action finally results in the snapping of the springs.

Therefore, one of the primary objects of my invention is to provide novel means for mounting the spring bands in front of the receiving portions of the rolls, whereby the spring bands are permitted a free movement without any bending or twisting action thereon. Y

Another salient object of my invention is th provision of a supporting bar mounted in front of each ironing roll carrying cups for rockably receiving heads connected with the spring bands, the cups and heads forming ball-and-socket joints to receive strains and to permit free movement of the spring bands relative to the supporting bar.

A further important object of my invention is the provision of novel holders on the supporting bar in the nature of cups, whereby the spring bands can be quickly and detachably connected with the ironing machine,

A still further object of my invention is the provision of novel means for forming the heads 1 for the spring bands, whereby the bands can be securely fastened to the heads, and whereby no bending action will occur between the heads and the bands.

A still further object of my invention is to and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

' which drawing:

provide means whereby the spring bands for one vanced from one roll to the other.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view through a commercial ironing machine, showing my novel appliance incorporated therewith.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail, sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, top, plan view illustrating one of the novel cups and one of the novel heads for the spring bands mounted therein.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating the formation of a cup and head.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of one of the heads, the spring band being shown in section.

Figure 6 is a sectional diagrammatical side elevation showing the rst pair of rollers equipped with adjustable tension endless belts.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter M generally indicates a commercial atwork ironing machine, and, as shown, the same includes side frames I0 in which are journaled the spaced, padded iro-ning rolls Il. These rolls are disposed above steam chests I2, and the upper faces of the chests are concaved to conform to the configuration of the rolls. The fabrics being ironed pass between the rolls and the steam chest, and the fabrics are progressively ad- During the ironing process, the fabrics have a tendency to adhere to the rolls, and in some instances the fabrics wind about the rolls. When this happens, the machine must be stopped, and much care must be taken to remove the fabric from the rolls,

In accordance with my invention, I place a transversely extending supporting bar l5 across the machine in front of each roll l l, and these bars are firmly secured to the side frames I0 in any preferred Way. As illustrated, the bars can be of a U-shape in cross section. At spaced points along the faces of the bars I5 are riveted or otherwise secured cups I6.

Each cup has formed thereon a face plate I1, which fits against its bar, and a rivet or other fastening I8 can extend through the face plate and the bar. ually tapers toward its lower end, and the bottom of each cup can be slightly rounded and The inner face of each cup gradprovided with an opening I9. Each cup loosely receives a hollow head 20, and each head carries a relatively thin narrow spring band 2| The bands can be formed from tempered metal, such as steel. The bottoms of the hollow hea-ds are of a semispherical configuration for engagement with the inner walls of the cups I6, whereby the heads are free to rock or move in said cups. As the openings I9 are of a greater size than the width of the spring bands 2|, the spring bands do not interfere with the movement of the heads in the cups.

I lay great stress on the means employed for anchoring the bands to the heads, and it is to be noted that the bands at one end are of a hook shape, as indicated by the reference character 22. These hook ends 22 are inserted through openings 23 formed in said heads, and metal, such as soft lead 24, is poured into the heads in a molten state, and upon the cooling of the metal 24, the bands will be firmly united to the heads.

The openings 23 are of a size slightly larger than the width of the bands, and the molten metal ows into and closes the openings 23. Thus, the spring bands do not engage the walls of the openings 23, but are held or engaged by the soft metal in said openings.

The spring bands 2I are arranged on the receiving side of the rolls II, and the bands are threaded between the rolls and the steam chest I2 until the forward ends thereof ride beyond the delivery of the rolls and above the steam chest.

When the ironing machine is in use, the fabrics being ironed pass under the bands 2l, and, hence, these bands effectively prevent the fabrics from clinging to the periphery of the rolls, and these bands act as means for stripping the fabric being ironed from said rolls.

As the heads are rockab-ly mounted in the cups, any swinging movement transmitted to the bands will be imparted to the heads, and the heads themselves will move back and forth in the cups. Thus, the bending or the continuous flexing of the bands at their point of engagement with the cups is eliminated.

The cups and the bands for one roll are preferably in staggered relation related relative to the cups and bands on the adjacent roll, and this forms a convenient means of allowing the flatwork to be conveniently transmitted from one roll to the other.

In actual practice it has been found that the piece to be ironed may be more or less damp, hence, as best shown in Figure 6 of the drawing, an initial pair of rollers with a plurality of endless tapes or belts A is provided such as shown in my invention Patent No. 1,914,908. Each of these plurality of belts is tensioned by a roller B mounted upon the end of an arm which is adjustable upon a pipe D and in locked adjustment by a thumb screw.

Thus as the piece of material to be ironed is fed under the first roller X in a damp condition, the tendency of said piece to adhere to said roller is eliminated due to the fact that the belts will prevent adhesion to the roller, and thereby insure the initially fed end of the material to be directed under the second roller X at which point the damp material is suiciently dryed out due to passing under the first hot pair of surfaces whereby said material will from then on travel as directed under the successive rollers by means of the spring'bands 2 I Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:

l. In an ironing machine, a rotatable roll, stationary ironing means below said roll adapted to press fabric against the face of the roll, a supporting bar extending in front of the roll, a cup carried by said bar havingits inner face gradually tapering toward its bottom, and having its bottom rounded and provided with an opening, a resilient band disposed between the roll and the stationary ironing means,a head rmly anchored to the band having a substantially semispherical lower end, said head being rockably and loosely fitted in said cup with the band extending through the opening, said head being hollow and having an opening in its lower end for receiving one end of the band, said end of the band being bent back, and a plug of soft metal in said head surrounding the end of the band in said head and around the portion of the band passing through the opening in the head.

2. In an ironing machine, a rotatable roll,V stationary ironing means below said roll-adapted to press fabric against the face of the roll, a supporting bar extending in front of the roll, a cup carried by said bar having its-inner face gradually tapering toward its bottom, and having its bottom rounded and provided with an opening, a resilient band disposed between the roll and the stationary ironing means, a head firmly anchored to the band having a substantially semispherical lower end, said head being rockably and loosely fitted in said cup with the band extending through the opening, said head being hollow and having an opening in its lower end for receiving one end of the band, and a plug of soft metal in said head surrounding the end of the band in said head and around the portion ol the band passing through the opening in the head.

MATTHEW J. BUCKLEY 

